Court Nullifies INEC's Deadline for 2027 Elections

On Wednesday, a Federal High Court in Abuja, led by Justice Moham Umar, ruled that the time frame imposed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for political parties to conduct primaries and submit or replace candidates for the 2027 general elections was inconsistent with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026. The court's judgment came in response to a suit filed by the Youth Party against INEC, challenging the commission's authority to set such deadlines.

Justice Umar declared that INEC cannot lawfully abridge the statutory periods prescribed by the Electoral Act, specifically sections 29, 31, and 32, which outline the timelines for candidate submissions and withdrawals. The court nullified the deadlines imposed by INEC and ordered a revision of the timetable for the 2027 elections, allowing political parties to conduct their primaries and submit candidate lists without the previously established constraints.